U.S. Praises Israel's Peace Endorsement

Published 8:00 pm, Saturday, May 24, 2003

The Bush administration praised Israel for its endorsement Sunday of a U.S.-developed Middle East peace proposal and pledged to work with Israelis and Palestinians to put the plan into effect.

The development could increase the prospect of a meeting involving President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

Even before Sunday's approval of the peace plan by the Israeli Cabinet, there was discussion of a possible meeting in the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheik among Bush, Sharon and Abbas.

Bush leaves Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and then a summit in France of world powers; the Middle East meeting could follow the Group of Eight gathering.

Sharon on Friday reluctantly embraced the peace blueprint, or road map, after the United States assured him publicly it would take into account Israel's objections to some parts of the proposal.

The Cabinet voted 12-7, with four abstentions, to approve the plan, but also objected to significant parts.

The Palestinians last month accepted the road map, which envisions a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by 2005.

"We welcome this development in confirmation of prime minister Sharon's acceptance of the road map," State Department spokeswoman Tara Rigler said. "We will continue to work closely with both sides throughout implementation of the road map."

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the vote was a "big deal, but the president's involvement is the biggest deal."

Before the Iraq war, Sen. Richard Lugar said he was told by the president that he was going to lead the road map process because of its importance to world peace.

"He means it. The constancy of his activity is the key factor," Lugar, R-Ind., said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

A leading Democrat in the Senate urged the administration to become more involved and said the president should go ahead with the meeting.

"The Bush administration has effectively been disengaged from the ground in the Middle East, and when that happens, nothing good will happen between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., told "Fox News Sunday."

"We're indispensable there. They need us because we're the only one they trust," said Lieberman, who is seeking his party's 2004 presidential nomination. "There's a moment of opportunity here."